A Teen Titan Life
by The Obsessive Pirate
Summary: What happens when Slade's apperntice leaves him and joins the Titans? Can she stay a good guy? Or will she be forever destined to be Slade's apprentice? An OC story.
1. Chapter 1

Here's her profile:

Name: Ell Orona  
Occupation: Slade's apprentice  
Description: Ell has long black hair and bright electric blue eyes. She's about 5'6".  
Personality: Ell is willing to do just about anything to get what she wants. She is not afraid to do what must be done. She is ruthless. A word of advice: Don't cross her. It might be the last thing you ever do.  
Age: 16

Ch.1

It was lovely day in the city. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the air smelled fresh and clean. Not that Ell Orona noticed any of this. She was storming down the street, black hair streaming behind her. She wore a black, turtle necked, tank top with electric blue edges that matched her eyes, and a black miniskirt with the same blue edges. This was her uniform she wore. She was an agent of Slade. Well, she used to be.

"Damned Slade. 'Do this, do that or you will regret it.' Arrrgh!" she screamed in anger. "I'm not doing it anymore. The stupid bastard can do his own damn dirty work!'

For the past year she had been Slade's 'apprentice'. Lackey was a better word for it. When he needed something she would get it. When he needed something destroyed she would do it. It was fun fighting the Teen Titans, causing havoc, and being in the police's Top 10 Most Wanted, but never, not once, did she get any real recognition for it. Sure, Slade would say, 'You have done well.' or 'Very nice.' but never anything more. And if _she_ did something wrong, even if the _job_ was done right, she would pay dearly for it. She had the bruises to show for it.

So now she had left him. She was not going to be his lackey anymore. She was going to do something with her life. Maybe take over a nice city. Become a mob boss or something. But never again would she work for someone.

Never.

Almost never anyway.

"Hey! You! Stop!" Ell heard from behind her. She kept on walking, but the voice was familiar. Too familiar. She recognized it from somewhere.

'Damn,' she thought as it hit her. She spun around to see none other than-

"Come quietly Ell, and no one has to get hurt," Robin, Boy Wonder, said to her face. He was fingering what she recognized as bombs.

Ell was already pissed off as it was. This was not helping. "No," she said through gritted teeth.

Robin sighed. "Have it your way." He threw the three bombs, one after the other at her. As they came closer she realized that these were his electro bombs. She grinned mischievously.

Ell closed her eyes and bowed her dead and mentally reached forward to find the bombs. Once she found them she sucked the electricity out of them. Problem was that that didn't stop the razor sharp edges from leaving a nice gash on her arm. Ell tensed up.

She snapped her head up and her eyes open. She looked at where the Titans were. Starfire was on the far left, then Beast Boy, then Robin, then Raven, and then Cyborg. "No," Ell said looking straight at Robin. "Have it _your _way."

Then before the Titans could cock their head's in confusion Ell fired Robin's electric energy at Starfire's head rendering her unconscious. And then proceeded to smirk.

"STAR!" Robin yelled running over to her. His head snapped back to Ell; daggers shot from his eyes. "Teen Titans GO!"

Ell took her crouched battle stance. Cyborg was the first to attack. She used her back leg to administer a powerful, electrically charged kick to the left, robotic side of his face. Noticing that he was slightly shaken, she took the opportunity to grab the left side of his head and train him of his energy. She was so absorbed in absorbing his energy that she didn't notice Beast Boy coming from her left side. When she did it was too late.

_BAM_

Ell was sent flying by 500 pounds of force from Beast Boy's ram form. "Frick," she muttered painfully. But the pain didn't last too long. Slade had beaten up on her enough times so that she was used to pain. She was back on her feet in no time-

-with Raven hovering next to her.

"Oh dear."

Raven enveloped Ell in darkness and transported her where Robin and Beast Boy were standing.

"Oh. Damn. Hey guys. What's up?" Ell said weakly. The next thing she knew her jaw ached something awful.

"Where's Slade?" Robin growled grabbing her by her shirt.

"How should I know?" Ell said a small smile on her face.

"You don't know?" Beast Boy exclaimed, truly taken aback. "You worked for him? How can you not know?"

"Is he always this stupid?" Ell asked.

"You have no idea," Raven replied.

"So that explains my success."

"Ha ha!" Beast Boy laughed. "That was- wait. Hey!"

Ell smirked.

"Where is he?" Robin said slowly.

As much as Ell wanted revenge on Slade she knew that Robin would do anything to get that information. "Give me one reason, _just one good reason_ why I should tell you."

Robin clenched his jaw. It was obvious to him that she was going to milk this for all it was worth. "What do you want?"

"What can you offer?"

Robin's jaw tightened even more. "Anything. Absolutely anything."

Ell leaned in closer to Robin's face so that their faces were two inches apart. "Anything?"

"Yes."

Ell's face cracked into a devilish smile.

"Uh, Robin, I'm not so sure that this is a good idea," Beast Boy said.

"For once I agree with him," Raven added.

"We need Slade if we don't get him who knows what he'll do!"

Ell backed up her head so that hers and Robin's were where they were. "What I really want is revenge on Slade."

"How can we help you with that?"

Ell really had not thought about that. She knew she wanted to get him back, but she did not know how. She wracked her brain for a few seconds before coming up with an answer that would not only piss off Slade, but the Titan's as well.

"Well?"

"You can help me _and_ yourselves by letting me join the Titans." It was perfect. The Titans constantly fight Slade and she could help them and get her revenge and at the same time she could torture them.

"What!" Robin roared in disbelief.

"No way in hell can you join us!" Beast Boy said.

"No. Way," Raven said simply.

Ell shrugged her shoulders. "Then I suppose you'll never learn where Slade is."

Robin opened his mouth to say something, but closed it when he heard a small sigh to his left.

"What happened?" Starfire said softly.

Robin dropped Ell and ran over to her. "Starfire," he breathed. "You're alright." He hugged her tightly.

"What happened?"

"Ell knocked you unconscious."

"Oh. Where is she now?" she said jumping to her feet. "You have taken her to prison, yes?"

"No. She's right here," Raven said. Ell was wrapped in Raven's powers.

"You're finally up. I was wondering if I had killed you," Ell said. Raven tightened wrap in with Ell was in. Ell gasped for air. "Help…can't…breathe…please…loosen…grip…"

Raven looked at Robin for what to do. He shook his head. Raven did not loosen her grip.

"Slade…I…know…his…loca-"

"Let her go," Robin sighed reluctantly.

Ell hit the ground with a soft thud before pushing herself up to her knee's gasping for breath. After a moment or so she stood up. "Do we have a deal, Robin," she panted. "This is you final offer."

"Fine."

"What!" Beast Boy screamed. "You can't seriously make her a Titan!"

"What is this nonsense you speak of, Beast Boy?" Starfire asked. She turned to Robin. "You cannot honestly be making her a Titan!"

"It's only until we get Slade. Only."

"Robin, you realize that she could be tricking you into a trap, right?" Raven said,

"Yes. But I'm willing to take that risk."

"I'm not leading you into a trap. I swear. Probe into my mind or something. You'll find that I'm telling the truth. Plus Slade doesn't work that way. He would rather leave clues for you to find. He would want you to work to find him. Not some lame trick like what you're talking about. Honestly."

"She's right," Robin said. "He would want to make us work."

Raven sighed. "You're right. But I'm keeping an eye on you," she added looking at Ell.

"Over course. That's understandable."

A/N: I hope ya'll like this chapter. Mine you this story is a remake of my original of If you want to read it just ask. If you have read it, it won't be half as bad. I promise you.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Sorry it took so long to update. My apologizes. I was in Texas for two weeks.

**Ch.2**

Ell walked ahead of the other Titans in the sewers. She was taking them to Slade's lair and the only entrance was through the sewers. So since she was the only one who knew where to go she was leading the way.

Ell glanced over her shoulder at the Titans behind her. They were going considerably slower due to the fact that they were all completely grossed out. Slade had been wise in choosing the most repulsive sewer as the entrance to his lair.

"Hurry up, Titans. We should have been there an hour ago."

They jogged up to her. "We had to bring Cyborg back to the Tower and plug him in," Beast Boy said. "He's our friend. That's what friends do for each other. They help each other."

"Why?" Ell had never had any friends. One really could not say that Slade was a friend.

"Why? Have you ever had friends before?" Robin asked, rather shocked by Ell's question.

"I might have," Ell replied. "I can't remember that far back. I wouldn't be able to tell you."

"You don't remember?" Beast Boy said. "How long had you been Slade's apprentice?"

"Since I was nine. I've been with him seven years of my life." Ell took a left turn in the sewers. They were coming closer to the entrance to Slade's lair.

"Why, and how, did you become Slade's apprentice? I would very much like to know," Starfire said.

"I'm not telling you. Period," she added when she saw Starfire begin to open her mouth in protest.

"Ok, but if you've been with him for so long, then why leave?" Raven asked.

"The man is brutal and ruthless. He has no human emotions and doesn't care about anyone. And I have the bruises to prove it."

"I know what you mean," Robin said sympathetically.

Ell stopped and looked him straight in the eyes. "You have no idea at all." She resumed walking for a few more minuets until stopping once more in front of a set of huge iron bars in the sewer. "Through these bars is Slade's lair. I though you should know."

"Thanks. Now, we need to be on our guard. No telling what Slade has cooked up for us," Robin said. He walked up to the bars and slid though them. Next went Beast Boy, the Starfire, then Raven, and then Ell. They walked a few paces before Beast Boy stopped.

"Beast Boy?" Robin asked.

"Do you guys hear a whirring sound? Like from a machine?"

"No," they answered.

"Are you sure?"

"Wait," Ell said. Her hand flew to left hip where she grabbed a hand-sized circular object with an 'S' on it. "Damn."

"What? What is it?" Robin asked.

She flashed him the side with the 'S' on it.

"Oh."

"What? What?" Beast Boy asked.

"I knew that I forgot to leave something," Ell muttered.

"What!" Beast Boy said loudly.

"It's Ell's communicator from Slade. H's been tracking us," Raven said in a very annoyed tone.

"So, Slade knows that we are here?" Starfire asked.

"Yes." Raven turned and gave Robin the 'I told you so' look.

"I know how this must look, but it's not the way it seems," Ell said. "I forgot. It's habitual for me to keep it with me."

"Right," Raven said.

The mechanical whirring got louder and louder and the Titans could now hear the splashing of footsteps in the darkness before them.

"I think we should leave now," Beast Boy said.

"No. This could be the only chance we get to get Slade," Robin said. "He'll probably move now."

"Boy Wonder's right," Ell said. "Slade will move after this. He's not stupid."

"It would appear though, that all that I taught you was a waste, Ell," came a voice from behind.

Robin, Beast Boy, Raven and Starfire did a quick one-eighty, but Ell turned around calmly. "Slade," she said.

"Always watch you back. Robin you should know better than this. Both you and Ell."

"And you should know better than to send _electric_ robots after me," Ell said, smirking.

"You can't take them all."

Ell bit her lower lip. Slade was right as usual. She hoped that Robin had a plan for this. He always had one for her. "Any ideas Robin?" she said aloud as the robots from both sides started to close in.

"One. Titans go!"

All at once Raven, Starfire, and Beast Boy attacked the robots knowing full well that either Ell or Robin would take Slade.

"Ell, take out some of the bots, I'm taking Slade," Robin said.

"Excuse me?" Ell replied. "I'm taking Slade."

"No your not. The others need you more then they need me right now. Consider it your first training assignment," Robin told her quickly before leaping over some bots and engaging battle with Slade.

"Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "Starfire! I need you to cover me while I suck the energy outta these bots!" Starfire came immediately As Starfire covered Ell she closed her eyes in concentration and began to slowly suck the energy out of 20 of the surrounding bots. When she opened her eyes she saw her anger in electric form waiting to be taken out on some poor robot.

Or Slade.

As her anger consumed her she took some of her own energy from within her and loaded into her already huge ball of energy. "Starfire, I need you to clear a small lane directly to Slade."

"Alright." Starfire then threw a starbolt threw some of the robots making a clear lane to Slade.

"Robin back away from Slade!" Ell yelled. Praying that Robin had backed away she unleashed the ball of energy and then some down the lane toward Slade. There was a flash of blinding light as it hit it's target. Slade screamed in pain, as did Ell. Slade quickly limped away into the shadows before any of the Titans could recover from the flash taking his robots with him. Ell cried out in pain again.

"Friend, are you alright?" Starfire said worriedly.

"Yeah, that was a lot of energy," Beast Boy said walking over to where Ell and Starfire were.

Ell's breathing became very labored as her feelings of pain changed to those of extreme fatigue and pain. She suddenly felt as if she had not eaten nor slept for days. She fell to the floor and fained.

"What the hell was that?" Robin said as he half-stormed over to Ell. "Why did you-" Then he actually saw her. "What happened?" He kneeled down beside her.

"She probably lost too much energy when she fired at Slade," Raven said as Robin checked her pulse. "She should still be alive if she didn't fire too much energy at him."

"She is," Robin said picking her up in his arms, "but we need to get her back to the Tower too make sure she doesn't die." Then he walked back through the arms and back to the Tower with the rest of the team.


	3. Awakening and Memories

A/N This is the first chapter that is going to be named. I'm gonna keep doing that. I just didn't have chapter names for these in the original. In fact, the chapter wasn't even in the original. Most of these weren't. --; But enjoy. And please review. Even a 'Keep up the great work,' or something helps. And if you have flames PLEASE send them. I'm BEGGING you to send flames if you have 'em. This will be one of the few times you can send an author flames and they won't mind. DO IT! But now, ON WITH THE SHOW! Errrm, fan-fic… heh heh.

**Awakening and Memories**

At Titans Tower the four awake Titans were all on edge. If they needed to be reached ones best guess was to look in the hospital wing. The four of them spent most of their time there checking on Cyborg or checking on Ell. But mostly Cyborg. Ell was the one who had drained his energy after all. And she had been their nemesis for a long time. The five original Titans and Ell were not exactly buddy-buddy.

Now if one of the Titans was not in the hospital wing Starfire could be found in the kitchen making strange meals for Cyborg and Ell when they woke up. Raven could be found reading a good book to calm her nerves. Beast Boy could be found playing video games, half-heartedly of course, to calm _his_ nerves. And Robin, the Boy Wonder, could be found at a computer doing everything within his power to find Slade. Which is where he could be found right now.

Robin sat hunched over a desk, his face glued to the computer screen, poring over case files involving Slade trying to see if he had left any clues or pattern as to where he was now. Robin, as usual, was obsessing over finding his arch-nemesis. He was checking case files dating back to five years ago. He had been at this for four or five hours and he hadn't even scratched the surface.

"Where are you?" Robin asked the computer screen. "I will find you. And when I do-"

"Robin!"

He tensed up, ready for Slade. But then he realized that it was Starfire calling his name. He spun around to see her beaming with a snot-green gel-_thing_ in her hands.

"Come Robin! Cyborg and Ell are awaking! Come now!"

Robin smiled wide. "I'm coming." He jumped up from the chair and over to Star. They then walked together to the hospital wing.

Robin and Starfire walked in the door to see the four other Titans totally awake. Two of who were in between the beds of the other two; Ell and Cyborg.

"Cyborg! Ell!" Starfire said. "I have something for you!"

"Really, Star? You didn't have to make anything for us. Really," Cyborg said dreading what she had.

"But I wanted to!" Starfire walked over to Ell and Cyborg and set on the bedside table the snot-green gel-_thing_. Raven and Beast Boy back away from the table quickly.

Ell could only blink. She did not even _want_ to know what that stuff was. "Ummm," was all that came out.

"Thanks, Star," Cyborg said after a moment. He picked up one of the forks on the plate and poked the thing. "I'm sure Ell and I will eat this later." Starfire beamed. "Or never," he said out of the corner of his mouth to Ell. She laughed softly.

Robin walked in between the beds. "I'm glad you are alright," he said to no one in particular, but both Cyborg and Ell knew that it was aimed at him. But both of them said thank you nonetheless.

Then it got silent and awkward. For everyone. Ell was one of the Titans most hated enemies and there she was in their hospital wing next to one of the Titans who she had injured. Awkward was an understatement.

Nevertheless Ell decided to break the awkward silence. "So, umm, when does training start?"

"Yea," Cyborg said. "We need to practice if we're gonna beat Slade the next time we see him."

"That's for sure," Ell muttered a little to loud. "Oh. Sorry."

"Practice is tomorrow morning at seven," Robin said. Then he added, just to be clear, "Sharp."

"Alright, Boy Wonder. I'll be there. Sharp," Ell said mockingly.

Much to Ell's annoyance, six o'clock in the morning came bright and early. Sure, with Slade she woke up at five or six o'clock in the morning, but at least she hadn't been drained of all her energy the day before. Not normally anyway.

Ell took a quick shower, slipped on her uniform, and went downstairs. She glanced at her watch. She still had half an hour until she had to be at the Training field. She walked into the kitchen to find something she had not expected. Cyborg and Beast Boy were fighting over what looked like tofu. Starfire was apparently putting something into the freezer.

Wait.

_She was feeding it. _Or something in it. Ell did not really want to know.

Raven was- not there. And Robin was devouring (more like attacking) what looked like bacon and eggs, but she could not be sure. After seeing what Starfire cooked she was questioning all food in the house.

Ell walked carefully over to the refrigerator not wishing to get in the middle of Cyborg's and Beast Boy's mad struggle over the tofu. She tapped Starfire on the shoulder.

"Errrm, could I get into the fridge?"

"Why of course! I am just giving our furry blue friend his breakfast," she replied as if feeding a growth in one's refrigerator was a normal everyday thing. Starfire shut the freezer door and got out of Ell's way.

Ell opened the door and picked out an apple. After seeing the blue thing she wasn't very hungry. She walked over to the couch and plopped down on it. She ate the apple as she looked out at the view of the ocean. It had been a long time since she had looked at the ocean. When she had worked for Slade she was either underground or working on something so she did not have time to stop and smell the roses. She could not remember the last time she had actually smelt roses. It was nice to be able to sit down and just look at something and not be plotting anything, or stealing anything. It was relaxing. She had not felt relaxed in years. She had not felt relaxed since she started to work for Slade. The more she though about life before him, she could not remember why she had joined him in the first place.

"Come on guys. We're all here. We should get a move on. We're not gonna beat Slade sitting on our buts," came Robin's voice shaking Ell out of her thoughts. She looked behind her and saw that no one had moved.

Robin sighed. "Come on. You guys don't think the Justice League sits on their buts while crime is out there?"

"Robin, we all know you want to get noticed by the Justice League, so stop pushing it. You said seven sharp. It's six-forty. Chill," Cyborg said, still battling Beast Boy.

Then Ell remembered why she had joined Slade.

"_No!" Ell screamed accidentally breaking a light bulb with her powers. "No! They can't be dead!" Nine-year-old Ell Orona sat in the social workers office listening to the death of her parents. She has been at school when it happened. _

"_I'm sorry deary," Mrs. McFadden said. "Now we are going to find you a nice foster home with sweet loving parents and maybe some siblings. How does that sound?"_

"_Bad! I want my Mommy and Daddy! I want them now!"_

"_They're not coming back dear. They died."_

"_No! Mommy and Daddy wouldn't leave me! They love me!"_

"_They can't come back."_

"_Yes they can! Bring them back!"_

_Mrs. McFadden got up from her chair across from Ell. "I'm so sorry, dear." And then she walked out leaving young Ell to try and deal with what had just happened. _

_As soon as she left Ell broke into tears. "They can't be gone," she sobbed. "They just can't."_

"They are,my dear," _came a voice from the door opposite the one Mrs. McFadden had just left out of. _

"_No they're not!" Ell screamed again, this time breaking the computer screen._

"They are. And I know who killed them."

"_Who are you?" she sobbed becoming afraid now. "Mommy and Daddy say not to talk to strangers."_

"But I am not a stranger. I know who you are. Ell Orona. Age nine. Favorite subject is English. You go to P.S. 113. See I know who you are." He paused for a moment. "And I know who killed you parents."

"_They're. Not. DEAD!" she screamed again. The lights flickered. _

"I'm sorry my dear, but they are." The man who was the voice opened the door and stepped into the room. _"And the Justice League killed them." He was about six feet tall. He was muscular, but still skinny. He wore and all black with metal plates in some places and had a red and black mask. Only one of his eyes could be seen and that was on the red side. _

"_What? The Justice League wouldn't kill my Mommy and Daddy. They're good people."_

"_I'm sorry my dear," he said walking over to her, "but they are bad people. They killed Mommy and Daddy."_

"_How do you know?"_

"_Why would I lie to you? And especially about something like this." He picked her up, sat down and sat her on his knee. "My name is Slade and I think I can help you."_

"_How can you help me?"_

"_I can help you make the bad Justice League pay for what they did to you and your parents."_

_Ell wiped her eyes dry. "Really?"_

"_Really," Slade said._

_She sniffed. "Ok. How can I make them pay?"_

"_First," he said standing her up and then standing up himself, "I have to train you. Right now you cannot make them pay, but later you can. I promise."_

_Ell took his hand. "Alright."_

She remembered the day she joined Slade as if it were yesterday. She still hated the Justice League. It made her remember that she had only joined up with the Titans to kill Slade. Nothing more, nothing less.


	4. Seven Years of Hell

Disclaimer: I don't own my beloved Robin. Or any of his freinds. .:sniff:.

**Ch. 4**

**Seven Years of Hell**

Training with the Titans, Ell had found, was no easy thing. It was almost like training with Slade. By the time she got back to he room (at twelve o'clock) she was drenched, head to toe, in sweat. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was very tangled and glued to her face and neck and her skin was glistening with sweat. She looked like she had just gone swimming for a few hours in the ocean without a hair tie. Ell realized that this is how she must have looked after training with Slade, but she never noticed it. After training with him she was in far too much pain to notice anything but the pain.

By the time Ell was dressed and out of the shower she was far too tired to do anything except sleep. So without changing she stumbled over to the bed and slept a long dreamless sleep until morning.

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Two months passed. Every Saturday the Titans would train from six to twelve o'clock. And every Saturday they would get better. When they weren't training they would go out for pizza, go to the park, fight some blasted bad guy, not Slade however which worried them, or Starfire would drag Ell and Raven to the mall, or they would just stay home a chill. Two months of bliss passed for Ell. He friendship with the Titans strengthened. Even with Raven with whom Ell would go to the occasional dark poetry reading. She particularly bonded with Robin. They both wanted Slade gone forever thus sharing a mutual obsession. The only Titan who really annoyed her was Beast Boy and his constant damned jokes. They were friends, but he annoyed the living _hell _out of her sometimes.

For the most part though, life was good. Ell had little worries.

One Monday she got up at five-thirty, showered, got dressed, and walked down stairs. She knew that no one was going to be, but she wanted to eat before all the madness began.

Ell was walking through the doors into the living room and was about to turn into the kitchen when she noticed something on the rocks outside the window. A shadow. She ran up to the roof expecting a bud guy to be up there but found Robin sitting up there instead.

She walked over to him and sat down next to him. "Boy Wonder. I didn't figure you to be a sunrise watcher. I had you pinned as a sunset watcher."

"It's refreshing," Robin said. "It's the promise of a new day. Anything can happen." He turned and smiled at her.

"You're right. Anything _can_ happen. Good," she paused, frowning "or bad."

"You're not a very happy person. No wonder you and Raven get along."

"I haven't had much to be happy about in the last seven years. Each new day meant another grueling training session. Another mission. Another chance to _fail_." She paused. "Everything except these last two months I mean."

"Wow. And not even something as beautiful as this brightened your day?" he asked, gesturing to the sunrise.

"You people all take this for granted," Ell said scowling. "I haven't seen a proper sunrise in seven years."

"Oh," Robin said softly. "And I thought I had it bad for a week." He turned and faced her. "If hated it so much, then why did you stay all those seven years?"

_Why should I tell him? _she thought. _He doesn't need to know. He's part of the problem._

_Yes, but you need to trust him, _said a little voice in her head. The reasonable voice. _And he you. You are teammates after all. You trusted Slade didn't you?_

_Yea. And look where that got me._

_He won't hurt you. You're on his side now. He's not like Slade._

Robin's voice shook her out of her thoughts. "Ell?"

Ell sighed a slightly defeated sigh. The trusting reasonable side had won. "At first I stayed with him because he offered me revenge on the people who killed my parents. Then I stayed because he was like a father figure. He was all I had in this world. I had nowhere else to go. He trained me, helped me hone my skills, taught me most everything he knew. I felt honored to be his apprentice. Some of me still does."

Robin felt slightly disgusted at her last remark. "Then why leave?" he asked a bit harshly.

"I left because it stopped being worth it. The pain was not worth it. He had taught me a great deal and I knew enough to go out and do my own thing." She paused. "I would have stayed a bad guy if I hadn't run into you guys that day."

"I figured that."

The two stayed up there until the sun had fully risen and was hovering over the water. Robin looked at his watch. "Six-thirty," he said. "Everyone will be getting up. Time for breakfast." He got up and walked not three paced before he was stopped by Ell's voice.

"Boy Wonder," she said, still sitting.

He turned around to face her back. "Yea?"

"Thanks for taking me in. For simply talking to me today."

"You're welcome." Then Robin went down the stairs inside and down to the kitchen. Ell followed a few moments later.

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The Titans were half way through breakfast when it happened.

The alarm went off and before anyone knew what was going on Robin was at the computer. "It's in Downtown. A hardware store."

"Who is it?" Ell asked.

"Slade," Robin hissed, angrily. Before Robin could say 'Titans, GO!' Ell had found an electrical current down to the garage, grabbed hold of it and was in the garage in the blink of an eye. She hopped onto a jet skii and was out on the water in a matter of seconds. The Titans quickly followed, but were two minuets behind her.

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Ell gave the jet skii more juice to go faster. She knew that it was unwise to do so, but this was Slade. She had to get him. To kill him. If anyone deserved death by electrocution it was him. Not that she had shown any mercy to the innocents who did not deserve it. She cringed inwardly at what she had done. Now more than ever she wanted to kill Slade. He had turned her into the monster she had been. She poured more energy into the skii. He was going to die today.

Ell jumped off the skii as it neared shore letting it crash. She did not have time to tie it up. Every moment she wasted Slade could be getting away. She located a power line under ground, grabbed hold of its energy and rode it to the hardware store. She got there in a split second. She opened her mouth to say something to Slade, but he beat to her it.

"Ell. How nice to see you again," he said turning around and facing her.

"Nice for me. Not for you."

"I see it as being mutually good for the both of us."

"And how the hell is that, Slade?" she said angrily. He was stalling and purposely pissing her off.

"I can give you what you want. Peace of mind. You still hate the Justice League for what they did to you." He said that as a fact, not as a question. He could still get inside her head and the both knew it. That was bad.

"Shut up," she spat. She was not going to have him get inside her head a second time. Right now she had to stall him until the Titans got here. She couldn't handle him alone. He was still too powerful.

"So it is true." He walked closer as he spoke. "You never got revenge on them. I could give you that. I could give you what you want."

"What I want is to see you dead." By now Slade was right in front of her.

As he spoke was walked behind her. "That's a lie. I can give you what you _really_ want." Slade whispered in her ear, "_Revenge_."

Ell charged her elbow with energy and elbowed him. "Shut up!" she hissed. She spun around to face him, but he was not there.

"When you want peace of mind you come and see me," he whispered in her ear from behind.

Ell jumped and spun around quickly to grab him and fight, but low and behold he was nowhere to bee seen.

"Ell!" came a voice from behind. She charged up, ready to kill, as she spun to find Robin behind her.

"Oh," she said calming back down. "It's just you."

Robin ran up to her and put his hand on her arm comfortingly. "Are you ok?" he asked worriedly. "You look a little shook up."

"I'm fine, Boy Wonder," she said putting on a good face.

He sighed when she said 'Boy Wonder'. Not his favorite nickname. "You sure?"

"Boy Wonder, I told you I'm fine."

"So where's Slade?" Beast Boy asked.

Ell's eyes widened in a scared way that only Robin, because he was close to her, could see. "He got away," she said simply and breathlessly.

Robin noticed that something was defiantly wrong, but did not want to push it now. He would wait until later. "Hey why don't we get some pizza?" he suggested. _Anything to calm Ell down. She looks frightened._

"Totally!" Beast Boy said.

"Boo yah!" Cyborg agreed.

"Yes! We shall order a whipped cream and mustard pizza!" Starfire said which disarmed everyone. Even Ell.

"How about a plain cheese?" Raven suggested.

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The Titan's got home late that night. They went to the movies afterward and saw the newest horror film: The Bracelet Two. Ell had forgotten about Slade during that time, but the moment the others went to bed all of the fear she had felt at the hardware store flooded back to her.

Would she never be able to escape him?

Would Slade haunt her all her life?

Ell sat down on the couch and brought her knees to her chest. She would never be able to escape him. He would haunt her all of her life until she died.

And he would always be right.

"Ell?" came a concerned voice from behind.

She jumped up from the couch and spun around panting. "Boy Wonder," she breathed. "You scared me."

He walked over to her and sat down on the couch. He motioned for her to sit down too. "Are you alright?" he asked. "You seem very jumpy."

Ell steadied her breathing. "I'm fine. Good night," she said getting up, but Robin grabbed her wrist.

"We need to talk."

Ell sat back down. ""About what?" she asked knowing full well what he was talking about.

"About today. You were very shook up after you saw Slade. What happened?"

"Nothing." She tried to hide her fear, but her cracking voice was giving her away.

"Ell, we're teammates. We have to be able to trust each other. What wrong?"

Ell burst out crying. She could not hold it in anymore. "Slade. That's what's wrong."

Robin was obviously shocked. He had expected a tear or two near the end, but not this. "Tell me."

Seven years of pent up tears and sorrow began to flow out of Ell's eyes and mouth. She told Robin everything. She told him about the day she met Slade, the whole story about why she joined him, about the beatings, about today, about seven years of hell. Seven years of pent up emotions came pouring out in a roaring waterfall of tears and words in a few hours.

"That's what's wrong," Ell said tears still streaming.

"Wow. I…I never knew."

"And he's right. He's always right!" She broke out in tears again.

Impulsively Robin pulled her into a tight hug and let her cry. Ell was slightly surprised at first, but just kept on crying and relaxed into the hug. Neither of them knew how long Ell cried into his shoulder for, but after some time they both fell asleep. Ell still in his arms.

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A/N: I hoped ya'll liked his chapter. Sorry it took so long to update. I'd like to thank xRubyDustx for reviewing and bringing this fic down from the attic in my mind. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. They're much appreciated. Please keep reviewing! Oh, and check out my other Teen Titans story! Oh, and check out the story _Paradox _by A.R. Fredrick. His story is amazing. And check out Ruby's _Elemental Goddess_. Friggen cool stories.

Your Most Humble and Obdient Author


	5. The Beginning of the End

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Teen Titans. But I don't. Damn.

**Chapter 5**

**The Beginning of the End**

The sunlight was streaming through the living room window of Titans Tower. That woke up Ell. The loud, not-so-concealed whispers woke Robin up.

He looked around to see that Ell was lying on his shoulder, that he was still in the living room, and that there were four gawking people were in front of him. "What the hell," he muttered groggily.

Ell woke up and looked around to see that same thing. She flew out of Robin's arms and off of the couch with unimaginable speed. "What-what-what-"Ell was at a loss for words as she rubbed her arms. Robin's arms had kept her very warm. She did not want to say, 'What the hell?' because she knew perfectly well, what the hell was going on. So instead she said, more like roared, "What the hell are you guys doing here!"

Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire, and Raven, yes, even Raven laughed, burst out laughing. Beast Boy fell to the floor because he was laughing so hard.

Robin and Ell's faces went cherry red. "How long have you been there for?" Ell roared again.

"Long…enough," Beast Boy said though loud obnoxious laughs, "to get…a picture!" The others laughed even harder.

Robin and Ell's eyes looked like saucers. He decided that he should get off the couch and attempt to end this. "Give. Me. The. Picture," he demanded shaking with rage and embarrassment.

"No," Raven squeaked out, still laughing very hard.

"Give me the damned picture or else," Ell said threateningly.

"No," Raven squeaked out again. It was obvious that she had taken it.

"Where is it then!" Ell said loudly.

Raven stopped laughing. "It's in my room. Don't you dare try to get it."

Ell's upper lip curled slightly. She knew that if she went in Raven's room she would never see the light of day again. She also knew that they would never let Robin and her live this down. Ever.

This was going to be a very long day.

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Beast Boy was very annoying. He had always been like that with his stupid jokes, the Tuesday that Robin and Ell were found on the couch he took annoying to a whole new level.

Ell sat in her room rubbing her temples in a futile attempt to calm herself down. Whenever Beast Boy saw her he would start making kissing noises. Annoying was the understatement of the year.

She should never have talked to Robin.

Or at least she should not have let him hug her.

Or at least not while she was crying. Admittedly she was glad he had hugged her. It was the first time in a very long time that she felt truly safe. With the Titans she knew that she would never be safe. She would always be fighting someone or something, but in Robin's arms she felt all of her worries just melt away. She had not felt like that in…

Seven years. It was comforting. She did not know what to call it though. It was a great feeling. It made her feel warm, safe, confident, and really happy, but frightened at the same time. What was this?

Before she had time to figure it out there was a knock on the door.

Ell sat up. "If this is Beast Boy," she said charging up, "then you better go away or I'll give you a shock so powerful that you'll wish-"

"Ell, it's me," Robin said on the other side of the door.

"Oh." She powered down. "Come in."

The steel door slid open and Robin walked into Ell's black and light blue room. "Hey," he said.

"Hey."

Robin really did not know why he was in Ell's room. He figured that he should talk to her about today. He didn't know what about, but he figured that they should talk. Maybe try and find a way to make this mess go away. He sat down in a chair across from the bed. "About last night, I'm sorry that I hugged you."

"No. It's fine!" Ell said and then realized what she had said. "I mean- ummm."

"I shouldn't have."

"No! It was good. I mean." Ell sighed and felt her cheeks turn cherry red again. She couldn't believe that she was fumbling her words like this. "I shouldn't have burst out crying like that."

"No. You needed to. It was good that you did that. I'm glad you did."

"Really? Why? You had to sit for a few hours listening to a girl tell you her life story and do a lot of crying."

"Because you needed to face it and move on so that we could get out jobs done," he said with little tact. Inwardly though he smacked himself for saying that. _I'm an idiot. _

Ell's expression changed to one of disbelief. "That's why? Are you kidding? No, 'It's cause we're teammates and I care about you?'"

"Well, I-" _don't want you to think I like you. That would complicate things! Especially since I do! _ he finished in his head.

"What? Boy Wonder, you're such a guy."

Robin bit his lower lip in anger and tried to keep himself from commenting, but he could not this time. "Why do call me that?"

"Call you what?"

"'Boy Wonder.' Why do you call me that?"

"I dunno. I just do. I can't call you Robin. It would be weird for me."

"Why? It's my name."

"Yea, but I've called you 'Boy Wonder' for so long that it'd be awkward. You couldn't just start calling me 'Miss Orona' could you?"

"No, but 'Boy Wonder' is very annoying."

"Ok. Fine. Tell me your _real _name and I'll call you Robin," Ell said smirking knowing that if he were annoyed enough he would tell her.

"No!" he said, as if she were crazy to even suggest it.

"Fine, _Boy Wonder._"

His upper lip curled. The thought of telling her definitely running through his mind. He got up and walked towards the door.

"Later, _Boy Wonder,_" Ell said smirking. She thought that this was horribly funny.

He stopped at the door. He muttered something that she could not make out.

"What, Boy Wonder. I didn't hear you."

He turned around looking rather annoyed. "Dick Grayson," he muttered very softly. She barley heard it.

"What was that, Boy Wonder?" She wanted him to say it loudly so that there was no mistake that either of them heard it.

"Dick Grayson," he said sharply, scowling.

"Ok. Thank you, Robin." She shuttered. She was not used to calling him Robin.

What was odd though, was that he too shuttered. He was not used to it either. It _was_ awkward.

"You don't like it either," she said.

Robin sighed. It was apparent he did not like it either.

"I could call you Dick?" she offered.

"No," he sighed realizing that this whole thing had been for nothing.

"Then what do you want me to call you?"

He sighed again knowing that the only thing that he could be comfortable with her calling him was-

"Boy Wonder, then?"

"Yes. Boy Wonder."

Ell smirked.

"You cannot tell any one, not even the others what my name is."

"No. Never," she said sincerely.

"Good." The steel door opened again as he turned around to go out.

"Later, Boy Wonder," Ell said, smiling.

Although Ell could not see it, Robin smiled too. "Later."

Ell looked at her watch. It was 12:30. She got up and walked downstairs. She was hungry.

When she got downstairs Beast Boy and Cyborg were playing a video game and Starfire was watching them. The three of them turned around to see who had walked in. Beast Boy started to make kissing noises, but for some reason it did not bug her. Not right now. She was glad that she had hugged Robin. The memory brought back the feeling that she could not figure out what it was.

Little did she know that that feeling was the beginning of the end for her.

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A/N: Hope you liked this chapter. Lots of cheeseyness, but hey, you'll have to live with it. So, please RxR. I write faster when I get reviews.


	6. A Proposal of the Oddest Sort

Disclaimer: Still don't own me Titans. Blast.

**A Proposal of the Oddest Sort**

Beast Boy kept making kissing noises at Ell as she walked into the kitchen, but she did not respond. Beast Boy and Cyborg exchanged odd looks. Beast Boy tried again and again Ell said nothing, nor did anything. She looked very happy. And peaceful. It reminded him of how he felt when he saw Terra. But that would mean that Ell was-

Nah. That was not possible. No way could she be in love with Robin. The thought was almost laughable. But still, what other reason could she be like that? She found Slade?

No, she would be out the door already.

Had she just decided to ignore him?

No, she would rather beat him up and she would not look peaceful. Or happy.

Had she just beaten a really hard opponent online?

No, she was not into video games.

What could it be then? She could not be in love with Robin. Romance was just not her thing. Not with Robin anyway. Maybe a bad boy like Red X, but not the good guy.

No, she was not in love with Robin. It was something else. But what?

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Deep beneath the bay of Jump City Red X walked into a dimly lit room. It had a high ceiling and earthy walls. He was sure that they were dirt walls. He knew that he was deep beneath sea floor and could not help but wonder if the dirt walls and ceiling would not just cave in a crush both him and Slade. He knew better though. Slade would not be so careless as to choose an unsafe lair. He had to live down here.

Red X walked into the center of the room and looked around. Slade was nowhere to be seen. This made him wonder if it was a trap. What reason would Slade have for killing him though?

He did not. But even so…

"I'm glad you could come," came deep voice from behind in the shadows.

Red X spun around fingering his gadgets. "Slade?" he said cautiously.

"Yes, dear boy." He stepped out of the shadows and into what little light was there.

"You said you had a job for me." Red X was still fingering his gadgets. He did not trust Slade. Not in the least bit.

"You can stop fiddling with your weapons. I do have a job for you. I very special job."

"Ok." He stood upright with his hands folded across his chest waiting for this very special job that Slade himself could not do. "Go."

"I want you to break Ell Orona's leg."

Red X almost burst out laughing. He was glad he was wearing a mask or else Slade would have seen his not so concealed grin. "Are you serious?" he said trying very hard to keep his voice steady and without laughter.

"Very."

"May I ask why?" He was beginning to lose control of his voice. He heard some laughter coming from himself.

"No."

"HA HA HA!" Red X laughed loudly. He could contain it no longer. Slade was asking him to do something so simple and so stupid.

"You find it amusing?"

"Highly!"

"Well then I suppose you won't be wanting the offered reward."

Red X stopped laughing. Slade was offering him a chest full of synovium. He needed it and could not pass it up. "No I want it. I'll break her leg for you."

"Good. Do nothing more and nothing less; is that clear?"

"Crystal."

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Ell cooked herself some breakfast still ignoring Beast Boy and still not able to put her finger on what the feeling was. It was annoying not know what was going on with her, but she knew that what ever it was it was good.

She sat down to eat her eggs and bacon, but was rudely interrupted by the alarm going off.

Robin rushed into the room. "It's Red X," he said venomously. "Titans go!"

Ell sadly abandoned her food and rushed out the door with Robin and the others.

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A/N: Yea, short chapter, I know, but hey, Slade was in it. I hope you guys liked it and found it funny. It sounded funny when I wrote it. Please review. I begging you. Review. Please. I want to know if the attempted humor was funny or not. And if you realize what is going on or not. Hope you don't. Heh heh. Review please.

The Obsessive Pirate

Formerly, Your Most Humble and Obedient Author


	7. Kicks

**Kicks**

12th street was bustling with action as was usual on a Tuesday afternoon. Bob Fenderson was showing a few customers a rather gaudy gold necklace in his jewelry show doing his best to get them to buy it. He put it around the lady's neck. "Well now! That looks just wonderful on you darling!" He turned to the husband. "Doesn't that look wonderful on her?"

The husband never got to voice his opinion. With a large bang and cloud of red smoke, Red X made his entrance into the store. "So, what's on sale?"

Fenderson stared wide-eyed at the man who just blasted the front window of his shop into a million tiny pieces. _That's going to cost so much to have replaced. _

Red X pulled out some small 'x' shaped razors. "Everything? Good." He threw two razors at the couple hitting them both in the head killing them both instantly. He strutted over to Fenderson, picked him up, and said, "Run." Red X then unceremoniously threw him out of the shop and watched him run down the street raving about a mad man in red and black.

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Ell sped after the other Titans down to the garage. Robin, Cyborg, and Raven jumped into the T-Car and drove out of the garage while Beast Boy turned into a hawk and flew out. Ell watched them go so happy that it was just Red X and not Slade. Not after Monday.

"Ell," Starfire said, "are you not going to come and help kick the butt?"

Ell hopped onto a ski doo. "Let's go."

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Red X looked at the very beautiful and very expensive jewelry before picking out a few things that would fetch a high price on the black market. After he had helped himself, Red X sat down behind the counter in a rather charred, but still comfy chair.

_This is almost too easy, _he thought. _Just break a leg, get out, and you're home free with a chest of power. But how to get close enough to break her leg?_ He searched through his belt trying to find something convincing. No sooner had he found a small, grey, metal cylinder with a red cap that he used to store poison in did Robin step into the front of the store and yell, "Freeze!"

Under the mask Red X smiled slyly. He put his hands up and held the cylinder in one. "Ok, I'm coming, kid." He walked through the wreckage and came up to where Robin and the others were standing.

"What's that?" Cyborg asked seeing the cylinder.

"Oh, this? A detonator," he said casually.

Very noticeably the Titans tensed up and Robin walked slowly away from him.

Eyeing Starfire he said, "Hey cutie."

Starfire ignored the comment. "What does it detonate?"

"Don't worry sweetheart." Red X tossed it up into the air and caught it with his other hand while the Titans all stared in shock and frustration, as there was nothing they could do. "I won't be blowing up anything today."

"Then what are you doing with it?" Beast Boy said quizzically.

"Let me rephrase." He tossed it up again. "I'm not going to blow anything up today on one condition."

"Really, X?" Ell said unbelievingly.

"Yup. But on one condition."

Ell was not sure she wanted to know the answer, but she asked it anyway. "What condition?"

"I'll come quietly if Ell handcuffs me and takes me to jail." The Titans could hear the wicked tone in his voice.

"In your sick dreams you sonuva'-"

"Then I guess we can do this the hard way." Red X put his thumb on the red cap.

Ell scowled at him and so did Robin. He knew Red X and he knew that he would not do something like this. It was not in his character. But no matter how skeptical Robin might he knew Ell had to do it. It was her duty. "Just do it."

"Fine." Robin handed Ell a pair of handcuffs as she walked over to Red X who set the cylinder on the ground. What no one noticed however was that he had grabbed one of his small 'x' shaped razors from his belt.

Ell finally got to him and motioned for him to turn around. As she grabbed his wrists she said, "You have a weird way of getting kicks."

"This isn't how I get kicks. You'll know when I'm getting kicks," he said wickedly. "But this isn't it." Before anyone knew what was going on, he spun around, stabbed Ell in the shinbone with the razor, hit the center button on his belt, and vanished.

"ELL!" the Titans cried as she crumpled to the ground in pain.

Ell clutched her right shin and moaned in pain. When she ripped the razor out she screamed in even more pain as blood started to flow out.

Robin ran over and picked her up as Cyborg did an analysis on her.

"You're gonna be alright, but we need to get you home and set that bone."

"It's broken?" Ell said making it perfectly clear that the pain was causing her to not think straight.

"Look at it," Raven said dryly.

Ell did and saw that there was a huge dent where the razor had been. She promptly turned her head away from Robin and threw up. He walked towards the T-Car a bit faster.

"Put her in the front," Cyborg said in an almost regretful tone. Obviously he was torn between this newcomer, ex-enemy and his baby. But Ell won.

Robin gingery placed her in the front seat while Starfire and Beast Boy climbed into the back. Raven and Robin did not and they motioned for Cyborg to get home now. Without an argument he did.

"Why would X just break her leg?" Robin mused.

"I don't know, but whatever the reason it can't be good."

"Yeah."

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Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire, and Ell got to the Tower in a manner of minuets. And within a minuet the four of them were in the hospital wing. Much to Ell's utter loathing Cyborg put a cast on her right leg enabling her from going on any mission for the next—

"Six weeks!" Ell cried.

"Yep."

"But I can fight!" Ell tried to stand up, but the weight of her body on the newly set bone was far too painful and she fell onto the floor.

Cyborg picked her up and set her back on the bed. "No. Now listen and listen good: You are staying in the tower! No 'if's, 'and's', or 'but's'!"

"Or coconuts," Beast Boy added making Starfire giggle.

"But what if it's _Slade_," Ell whined. "I have a score to settle with that bastard!"

"You and Robin are obsessed with him!" Cyborg exclaimed in an annoyed tone.

Beast Boy however saw this as an opportunity to have some fun. "Ooooh! Robin and Ell sittin' in a tree! P – l – o – t – i – n – g!"

Ell glared at him before shocking him. "And its p – l – o – t – _t_ – i – n – g!" she yelled furiously over Starfire and Cyborgs' laughing.

"What's plotting?" Robin said as he and Raven walked into the room.

"Oh!" Ell said turning slightly pink. "Beast Boy" she spat, "was-"

"You and Ell!" he interrupted as he got up. "You're both plotting to kill Slade! Or kissing." He made kissing noises at Robin who promptly ripped out his bo-staff and swung at Beast Boy's legs knocking him down.

"Ow!" He rubbed the bump on his head where it had made contact with the ground as he got up. "But it's _true_! We all saw what happened the other night. And aren't we fighting for truth?' he said slyly.

Before Robin could trip him again Ell shocked him again, this time knocking him out. The other four started at her in disbelief. They all knew he would be fine, but none of them could believe that Ell has just attacked him.

"What? He's had it coming."

Raven shrugged in agreement. "He has."

Cyborg sighed as he picked up Beast Boy and set him on a bed. No sooner had he hooked Beast Boy up to a machine (just to be sure) did the alarm go off.

"Trouble!" Robin said. He checked his communicated for who and where. "It's Dr. Light," he said flatly. "He's on the oil rig outside the Tower again." Starfire, Raven and Cyborg sprinted out the door, but Robin walked over to Ell as she tried to get up. "Stay here. We can't have you fighting. We can't have you further injure yourself."

Ell's heart leaped and she felt that odd feeling that she could not place her finger on. _He cares about me, _she thought.

"You're a member of my team. I can't have that."

Ell's heart plummeted.

"If he," Robin gestured at Beast Boy, "gets up tell him to rest and don't hurt him."

"Fine," she said somewhat coldly.

Then Robin flew out the door after the others to, once again, put Dr. Light back in jail. That left Ell sitting in bed fuming that she was bed ridden and that Robin had treated her somewhat like a little girl. There was also something that she could still not place her finger on.

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A/N: Well, I hoped that you lot liked that chapter. Not to horrible, was it? Sorry it took so long to update. Sooo much bloody homework. Please tell me if the Beast Boy humor didn't work at all. If it didn't then I'll try and stop. Also, I really want to know if Ell is Mary Sue-ish. I'd hate that. Also, tell me if any of the characters are OOC. PLEASE. Well, until next time!

The Obsessive Pirate


	8. Eruption

**Eruption**

The four uninjured Titans dealt with Dr. Light very quickly and had him in jail in less than fifteen minuets. They rushed back to the Tower when they were done to make sure that no one had come and attacked Beast Boy or Ell (the word that she was injured had to have gotten around quickly) and to make sure that Ell had not killed Beast Boy. Though the Titans had put Dr. Light away in a relatively short time, it took Ell an even shorter time to realize that if she was forced to stay on crutches someone was going die. But after five weeks – five _incredibly _long weeks – Ell only had one week left to go until the wretched _thing_ that people called a cast was off forever.

Over the past five weeks Robin and the other Titans had become less and less worried about anyone attacking the Tower. If someone were going to do attack they would have done so in the beginning right?

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As was usual, at six o'clock Ell walked into the living room and into the kitchen with what had become a rare smile. "Hey," she said simply.

"Hey! You're smiling!" Robin said from the counter.

"Yeah. Only one more week to go until I can take this wretched thing," she tapped her cast, "off."

"Good. Then you'll be able to come back to training. You have some catching up to do."

Ell sighed. Robin had been doing that a lot lately. Saying something that made it appear as though he liked her as more than a teammate, but then saying something else that made it seem the opposite. She hated it.

Ell opened the refrigerator door and pulled out an apple and the carton of milk. "So, what's on tap for today? You know, for you guys."

"Well, we're going to do some training. It's Saturday."

"Oh. Yeah." It was a stupid question, but it was better than the uncomfortable silence that had just fallen over them. She did not know why she could not talk to Robin sometimes. It was terribly annoying. She wondered if Robin felt the same way, or if he did not care or notice.

Her mind ran over things she could talk to him about, but nothing good seemed to come up. For some reason only bad things came up. Such as Slade, Red X, more villains, training, and more stupid topics hat are things that they would talk about normally. Ell had only had three real talks with Robin. All of which happened a long time ago. She wanted to be able to talk with him about normal things. To really become friends with him like she had with Starfire and Raven with whom she could talk about almost anything.

Pouring herself some milk she glanced at the morning paper. The headline read:

**UEHARA DAIZO ESCAPES FROM PRISION!**

She scanned the article to figure out why news on some Japanese criminal had made it to Jump City. The only thing that stood out was mention of the Teen Titans defeating him and taking him to jail. Interested, Ell picked up the paper and read the entire article. Apparently Uehara Daizo was once a commander of Tokyo's elite police force that was actually made of ink, and he had been using a dying artist who had gained the power to make his creations become real to gain political and social power. The Titans took him down and were honorary heroes of Tokyo. But now that Uehara Daizo had escaped he was out for revenge.

_Not a very telling article. _Then it hit her. _Robin could shed some light on this! This can't be all that bad. It would appear that this would be the only time we would ever talk about him. He's not a big criminal._

Ell folded up the paper and walked over the counter. "Hey Robin?"

"Yeah?"

"Who's Uehara Daizo?"

The blood drained from Robin's face. Ell could tell that this had not been a good decision. "He's a criminal from Tokyo. We took him down about a year ago. Why?"

Ell handed him the paper. "The article wasn't very informative, but seeing as how all the color drained from your face you don't want to talk about this."

"Yeah. I had a hard time in Tokyo."

"Why? Language barrier? Starfire speaks Japanese. You shouldn't have had too hard a time finding you way around the city." What could be so bad?

The color flooded back to Robin's face as he blushed a deep scarlet. Now Ell knew that this had most defiantly not been a good decision, but she was too curious now to not ask about it. By now she had to know.

"You see – what happened was –" but Robin could not get it out.

"What happened? It couldn't've been all that bad, Boy Wonder."

"Maybe not for you," he said a bit too coldly, "but for me it was all that bad."

"Then what happened? You've evoked my curiosity. I have to know what happened now."

"I really-"

Ell put her elbows on the counter and leaned on it. "Spill wonder boy."

Robin sighed. He _really_ did not want to talk about this. It was bad enough that it had happened, but that he had to tell _her_? "I was put in jail."

Ell's eyes went wide. "Are you joking? The heroic Boy Wonder broke the law?"

"No, I'm not joking." His voice was bitter.

"Why? What did you do?"

"I –"

"Yes?" Ell leaned in closer.

"I killed someone." Ell stood up, utterly shocked. "Well, something. It was just ink, but everyone thought it was a real person. But it was just a set up. I swear it. I just – lost control."

Ell took a step back. Robin, the good-guy, Boy Wonder _killed_ something? That scared her. It scared her and shook her to the core. She did not think that Robin had it in him to kill. Would he have killed her to get information about Slade had he been angry enough? Had he lost control?

"Wow," was all that could come out of Ell's mouth.

Robin hung his head. "Yeah. It was an accident. I didn't mean for it to happen. It just did."

"Would you have ever killed me?" Ell blurted out before she knew what she was doing.

Robin stopped his breath mid-way. It hurt him that she would think that. But it stopped him and made him think as well. Would he?

"I'm sorry." She turned a deep red. "That was a rude question. I – I – I shouldn't have asked it."

Sighing he started the breathe again. "It's ok. I would have asked you that same question."

Ell noticed that he did not answer the question. Why was he avoiding it? Would he have killed her? She looked at her feet as she said, "Would you have, though? Honestly."

He walked around the counter and stood next to her. Robin put a finger under the chin, lifted it up, and looked into her eyes while she looked into his. "No. Never."

Inexplicably Robin found that his face was drawn to Ell's and hers to his. Before they knew what they were doing their lips met and passion erupted from within both of them. It was then that Ell realized the emotion that she did not recognize:

Love.

713713713713713

A/N: Yay for inspiration! I really-o, truly-o hope that you lot liked this chapter. Please tell me if I was too mushy or if Robin was OOC. I would hate that. Please send reviews too. If you are an author then you know how reviews help. Also, thank you xRubyDustx for pointing out to me that Red X was OOC. Thank you! I love to hear from ya'll! Until next time,

The Obsessive Pirate


	9. Long Awkward Pauses

**Long Awkard Pauses  
**

Robin and Ell broke apart, slowly, but surely, and started into each other's eyes.

"Boy Wonder, indeed," Ell said softly making Robin chuckle. They leaned in once more, but it was just their luck that Beast Boy should have a nightmare and not be able to go back to sleep.

Beast Boy stumbled in, his eyes half closed rubbing the sleep from them. "Good morning," he mumbled.

Robin and Ell flew to different parts of the room. Robin to the crime computers and Ell to the couch. If Beast Boy _ever_ found out what had just happened they would never get a moments rest.

Beast Boy stopped stumbling into the kitchen at the counter to look at them. "What's up with you guys?"

"Ummmmm," was their unanimous reply.

"You scared us!" Ell improvised. "We were just talking about-" She looked to Robin for a decent topic.

"Uehara Diazo!" Robin supplied. It was perfectly true. They had been talking about him.

"Who?"

"The evil commander from Tokyo."

Beast Boy still looked on quizzically. It was far to early in the morning for his brain to function so he just stared blankly at Robin.

"He was the guy who was using the magic ink."

Beast Boy still started on with a blank expression.

"The one who was using the comic book-"

"OH!" Beast Boy said happily. "Him!"

Robin blinked in annoyance.

Comic books.

That's what Beast Boy remembered about the trip to Tokyo:

_Comic books._

"And it's _manga_. Not comics. Honestly." He crossed the kitchen to the refrigerator running his hands through his green hair as he went. He opened it up and took out the soymilk. While doing so he asked, "How do you guys get up the early?" Beast Boy looked up expecting an answer, but found that Ell and Robin were not there.

Ell and Robin were half way to the roof to get some privacy. Unluckily for them they ran (Ell was limping) a bit to loudly past Cyborg and Raven's room waking them and enticing their curiosity. So by the time that Robin and Ell were up on the roof the pair had an audience listening at the door.

Robin and Ell sat side by side on the edge of the roof watching what was left of a sunrise. Ell sat with her legs over the edge of the roof letting them dangle freely. Inversely Robin sat cross-legged with his hands behind him. They sat there for a few minuets both watching the sunrise and contemplating what had just happened.

"So what now?" Ell said breaking the silence.

"What do you mean?" Robin asked looking at her.

"I mean, what are we going to do about us? We can't tell the others, Beast Boy would never let us live this down, but I'm head over heels for you."

Robin looked down at his legs. "We can't. We're superheroes. We have an obligation to doing the right thing and feelings of romance would cloud our thinking. The criminals'll use anything to win. Even a relationship. I don't want to have to choose between you and justice."

"Hey, but what about my feelings?" Ell spun around and sat cross-legged at look at him. "This feeling is something I haven't felt in seven years. I want to keep feeling it."

Robin did not say anything. He felt the same way, but he did not want to have to choose. The great Robin, the Boy Wonder found that he was weak.

Ell put her fingers on his jaw and brought his face up so that he could look at her. "Everybody need's someone. Even superheroes. I love you. I can't – won't - ignore those feelings."

"I couldn't lose you. I won't take that risk."

"Everybody's got to take some chances; love someone. I'm willing to take the risk."

Robin found he had nothing to say. Yes, he loved her, but, "What about Slade?"

Ell's hands balled up into fists. "What about him?"

"It's bad enough to lose someone you care about, but to Slade --"

"Then we won't lose each other. To anyone. I won't let myself be captured."

"But-"

"Don't worry. I'll keep you safe too."

Robin smiled and moved right next to Ell taking her hand into his. She laid her head onto his shoulder and sighed. "So, how are we going to tell the team?"

"I was thinkin' a big ol' party."

Ell and Robin turned their heads to see none other than-

"Cyborg," she hissed quietly more annoyed than angry. "No."

"Ya'll might as well. Beast Boy isn't gonna let you live this down."

Ell stood up and sighed an annoyed sigh. "He's gonna have to," she said almost dangerously.

Robin stood up. "How did you know we were up here?"

"You guys ran past my room really loudly and so I had to see what was up."

Ell growled annoyed.

Cyborg however raised a mischievous eyebrow. "And so did Raven."

Robin and Ell's eyes darted to the door to find a grave looking Raven standing in the doorway. "Beast Boy is going to be the least of your troubles."

"Why?" Robin asked. Aside from Slade and the villains what could be worse than Beast Boy?

"Starfire."

"Oh." Robin's face turned as red as his tunic.

Ell on the other hand began to laugh. "Starfire? The cute little alien? The one who couldn't hurt a fly?"

"One in the same, girl."

Ell now doubled over with laughter and almost fell to the floor. "You've got to be joking! What _supreme threat_ does she pose aside from her food?"

"See-" Robin began, but faltered. The subject was a bit touchy for him and would become a bit awkward given the current situation.

"Well? If she's not going to kill us while congratulating us in one of her bone-crushing hugs then what's wrong?" she said still laughing.

"Well, we were – at one point – a, ummm, a-"

"Form a complete sentence in your head then say it, _sweetie_. Don't make me teach you how to form sentences."

"We were-"

"-a couple," Raven finished for him. "Robin and Starfire were a couple."

"Yeah. That," Robin mumbled.

Ell blinked. "That's it? You two went out for a while?"

"Yes."

"Ok, and? If you two broke up then you're fair game. I don't see a problem here." She paused. "Unless you broke up with her within the last few months."

"Actually she broke up with me."

Ell looked at Robin for a moment before laughing out very amused. "Seriously?!"

"Yes," he said obviously _not_ amused.

"Ha ha ha!" She sighed. "That's kinda' funny. And good. For us," she added quickly after a look for Robin. "For us."

"Yeah, I guess." There was a long and somewhat awkward pause. No one really knew what exactly they were going to do about Starfire. Beast Boy would, if ignored, eventually lose interest in bugging them. But none of them knew how Starfire would react. It could be messy, and they all knew that.

"So," Ell began, but much to everyone else's horror (and a bit of delight because the hard part was now over) Starfire walked onto the rooftop mildly surprised.

"Oh! Hello, my friends. How are you all on this most beautiful morning?"

Ell was perfectly happy and would have told Starfire then and there about her and Robin, but Cyborg opened his mouth first. "Were all good. Just hanging out. On the roof. Watching the sun rise."

Starfire beamed happily. "Good," she said as she walked to the edge of the roof.

"Good."

Another long and awkward pause came about and stayed there for a few minuets as Raven, Cyborg, Robin, and Ell thought about what do to with this awkward moment. Ell wanted to tell her. She saw no point not to. 'Que sera, sera.' 'What ever will be will be.'

Robin, Cyborg, and Raven, however, thought very differently. Robin almost wished that a bad guy would show up and attack the city. Cyborg wanted to tell Starfire, but loved her like a sister too much to break her heart. Raven knew that Starfire would eventually find out, but she did not need to be told about it. Especially by Ell.

While they were thinking the sun rose and by the time they were done thinking the sunrise was over and the already awkward silence would become, if possible, even more awkward. Thinking on his feet Cyborg said, "So, who wants breakfast?"

Starfire whipped her head around, smiling. "Please! I shall make some gnarflic!"

Dark looks were exchanged by the others on the roof. Whatever 'gnarflic' was it was from Starfire's home world and could not be good for them.

"I'll pass," Ell said. "I've already eaten."

"Yeah, same here," Robin added.

"What about you, friend Raven? Or you friend Cyborg? Would you two like some gnarflic?"

"Ummm, I'll pass girl."

"Ditto."

"For me there is more then!" Starfire rushed off the roof to go make whatever gnarflic was.

The four left on the roof breathed a little easier now.

"So when are we going to tell her? I mean, it's not like this can be kept a secret," Ell said.

"Ell, you can't tell her. She'll find out when she finds out," Raven said.

"Fine. I won't tell her. But until she finds out what are we going to do?"

"Live life normally," Robin sighed.

Ell grinned wickedly. "Define 'normal'."

"Ell –" Robin began, but was cut off by the sound of his communicator. He whipped it out and snapped it open. "Trouble downtown." He looked worriedly at Ell. Now that they both knew that they liked each other he was worried that some psycho would come and kill her or something like that.

Ell sighed annoyed. _One_ more week. Just _one. More. Damned. Week._ "Go get 'em, Boy Wonder," she sighed. "I'll be fine here. I've been fine the last few weeks. What could go wrong?"

Robin smiled. "Alright." He turned to the others. "Let go," and they were off and running to go catch the bad guy.

Ell hated to watch them run off without her. She was beyond angry that she just had to sit at home and wait. She was going to get Red X back for this. One day when he least expected it she would fry his brains.

She hobbled down stairs to watch some TV or something amusing, but to her horror found something, some_one_, that she did not expect to see.


	10. Persona Non Grata

Disclaimer: No, I don't own the Teen Titans. I'm just a kid who thinks that she can do a better job than the TV writers. ;) I do however own Ell. She's mine and has been so for three years. Back off.

**Persona Non Grata**

Ell froze in the doorway to the living room in complete horror and shock. This could not be happening. _He_ could not be here! Titan Tower had security systems! This was impossible! Slade could not be standing at the living room window looking out on the bay.

"Hello, Ell," Slade said calmly.

Ell just stood there. She was basically defenseless. She was _at his mercy_.

"How's your leg? Is it still broken?" He turned around and looked at her. "I see it still is. How _sad_." It was said mockingly. He had the upper hand. They both knew it.

"Get out," Ell ordered rather stupidly.

"Red X did a good job."

"Didn't you hear – Wait. What the hell do you mean 'X did a good job'?!"

Behind his mask, Slade grinned mischievously.

"You_ hired_ him to do this to me?" Ell shot daggers at him, but then smirked. "What, couldn't do it yourself? Pathetic, Slade. You actually have to have someone do your work for you. Oh, wait, you've always been like that. How utterly pathetic." She knew that saying this to him was a bad idea, but if she could insult him she would. He has everything he gets coming to him.

He narrowed his eyes. "Have you thought about my offer?" he asked coldly.

"Yeah. I'm not joining you. Ever."

Slade chuckled dangerously as he walked around the couch. "You will eventually. You've been a villain too long to be a hero."

"Shut up and get the hell out!"

Slade just kept walking. "You _enjoyed_ being with me. Being able to do what you want with whom you fought. Being able to _ki —_"

"SHUT UP!" The lights began to flicker, but still Slade walked toward her.

"_Kill_. The Titans won't let you do that will they?" He stopped because by now he was at the foot of the stairs.

"That's it," Ell spat venomously. She gathered some energy up and fired at Slade who dodged it. In retaliation he whipped out his bo-staff and swept her feet out from under her. Ell screamed in pain as Slade walked up the rest of the stairs.

"I'll ask you again," he put the butt of the staff against her neck, "will you join me?"

She glared at him. She couldn't think straight enough to blast him. "What happens if I say no?"

Ell could hear the grin in his voice. "What do you think?"

Ell considered her options. She could say 'yes' and live, or she could say 'no' and die. Would he really kill her though? If he wanted her back as badly as it seemed would he really kill her? Was she willing to take that risk? Was her life more important to her than her friends? Was she really that selfish?

'_You've been a villain too long to be a hero.'_

Why did Slade always have to be right?

Ell sighed sadly. "Fine. Now get your damn stick out of my face and help me up."

Slade put his staff away and helped her up. "I knew that you would agree."

"Shut up. I'm only doing this to save my life," she said as she grabbed her crutches.

"What about your parents? What about vengeance? Some of this is about them."

"I would have given them what they deserved eventually."

"Eventually may be sooner that you think." Ell could hear his sadistic smile in his words. She had forgotten how much she hated it.

And loved it.

"ELL!" A voice rang throughout the house clearly displaying the worry and concern of its owner.

"Robin," she whispered hollowly.

Slade grinned beneath the mask. Ell could hear it. "You said you were doing this to save your life. Start saving it."

"ELL!" The voice was more strained this time.

"No. I can't! I'm –" _in love!_ she finished in her head, but aloud she finished, "—injured!"

"And yet, you had no problem firing a shot at me. Do it," Slade commanded.

"I can't. You knocked the wind out of me."

Ell and Slade could hear the footsteps of the other Titans running down the hallways. They were close.

"_Do it,_" he commended again, this time with an edge.

Ell groaned in anger. Now she _really_ hated Slade. She powered up as slowly as possible to give the Titans a chance to get to them. Lucky for her they did.

"SLADE!" Robin roared in anger as he and the others rounded the corner into the hallway leading into the living room.

"_DO IT!" _Slade hissed at Ell.

"NO!" she yelled back with confidence.

"Duck!" Cyborg yelled to Ell. She ducked just as he fired a shot at Slade. Slade's eyes widened in surprise as he jumped out of the way. The shot hit the couch.

"Traitor," he hissed to Ell. As the dust settled Slade scrambled to the window, broke it, and jumped out.

He was gone before any of the Titans knew what had happened.

Ell looked up and saw the five other Titans on the far side of the hall running to her and she started bawling. She could not believe what she had just done. Robin grabbed her, and held her in his arms as she cried and mumbled over and over again, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"It's ok," he said softly. "It's ok. Slade's gone now." _What happened? What did that bastard do to make her this upset?_

Robin and Ell sat there for at least an hour. All the while she cried. During the hour she cried herself to sleep. Robin picked her up, carried her to her room, and tucked her into bed.

"Slade's going to pay for this," Robin vowed as he looked at Ell's sleeping figure. She had been hysterical the first time she had met Slade as a Titan, and should have been able to handle it by now. But this time was different. There was something about this time that had been much worse. This time it wasn't her getting something off of her chest, but this was something that Slade had personally done.

The 'whooshing' sound of an opening door brought Robin out of his thoughts. "Robin, you need to see something," Cyborg said from behind. His tone didn't sound very good. It almost sounded angry.

"Sure." Taking one last glace at Ell, Robin left the room and followed Cyborg to the security room.

"Take a look at this," Cyborg said sitting down at the console. He rewound the footage of one the security tapes at a point and pressed play.

'_Have you thought about my offer?'_

'_Yeah. I'm not joining you. Ever.'_

'_You will eventually. You've been a villain too long to be a hero.'_

'_Shut up and get the hell out!'_

'_You enjoyed being with me. Being able to do what you want with whom you fought. Being able to _ki_ —'_

'_SHUT UP!'_

'Kill_. The Titans won't let you do that will they?'_

'_That's it.'_

_Ell tried to hit Slade, but missed and found herself on the ground with a staff at her throat._

'_I'll ask you again, will you join me?'_

'_What happens if I say no?'_

'_What do you think?'_

'_Fine. Now get your damn stick out of my face and help me up.'_

_Slade helped her up._

'_I knew that you would agree.'_

'_Shut up. I'm only doing this to save my life.'_

Cyborg pressed stop. "I'm so sorry, Robin."

Robin slumped into the chair behind Cyborg completely speechless. After everything that they had gone through as a team, everything that they had gone through as friends, and especially after everything that they had gone through that morning she had agreed to serve Slade again. She had betrayed them just to _save her life_. Just so that she could live.

'_I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…'_ she had sobbed. Robin hadn't known why at the time, but it made sense now. Her betrayal explained everything.

The more Robin thought about it, the more it hurt him. And the more it hurt Robin, The Boy Wonder, the more he found that it hurt Dick Grayson. He felt betrayed to the very center of his being.

Hours passed and Ell woke up at about noon. She felt drained. Not physically, but emotionally. She had only had a few emotional breakdowns before, but this one was the worst. She had been so scared of everything, felt so helpless. And so she had cried in Robin's arms. She had felt almost safe. She was so glad that he had just held her and not moved. If he had moved…

Ell shuttered at the thought. She didn't want to think about what would have happened. Right now she didn't want to think about anything. She still felt scared and shook up. She knew from experience that she would feel better and confident again, but that didn't stop her from feeling vulnerable.

Eventually Ell sat up and found that Robin was in her room. She smiled weakly. He did not return the smile. He looked upset. _Oh no. Did he find out?_ The fear that she felt yesterday began to creep back into her mind. _No. He couldn't have. How would he find out?_

"Hey," she said weakly.

"Hello," Robin replied stiffly.

Fearing the worst Ell asked, "A--are you alright? D—d--did something happen?"

Robin took in a deep breath. He had to steady himself. If he didn't he was likely to do something very rash. "Something did happen."

Ell could tell from his tone that he knew. Now she felt scared. She felt like she had yesterday. She beck up the backboard of her bed, put the pillows around her, and cuddled up with her blanket. "I'm sorry," she muttered.

Robin breathed in again. "Sorry doesn't cut it. You betrayed us," he said his voice rising. "You –" He took another deep breath. "You were willing to join back with that _monster_ so that you could live."

"Robin, I'm sorry. I – I –"_I didn't mean to? _she thought. That was a lie. She meant to.

_He was threatening you! What were you supposed to do? Say 'no' and die? _a part of her tried to justify.

_Yes! You love Robin and because you couldn't stand up to Slade you've betrayed them! _the other half reasoned.

_You wouldn't do Robin any good if you were dead._

_At least you wouldn't be a traitor. _

"You what?" Robin asked. "You didn't have a choice? Didn't mean to?!"

"Robin," she began, but didn't know what to say next. What do you say next? What does anyone day next? 'I'm sorry, please forgive me,'? 'I won't do it again,'?

"No!" he said loudly. "You betrayed us! You joined Slade again even after everything he did to you! All to save your life!" Robin was yelling by this point. No deep breaths could stop him now. He was fired up and ready to go. "You're a traitor! What's worse you're a coward! _You don't deserve to be a Titan or a hero!_" he spat.

Ell did not know to say. Part of her knew that he was right and had no ideas as to how to handle this. That part of her wanted to cry and cry. But the other part of her was angry. The other part thought that the spiky haired punk had no right to say those things. The other side wanted to lash out at him and strike him down.

In Ell a mental battle raged between the two sides. After a minuet or two the victor had reasoned with Ell and won.

"Get out," she said softly.

"What?"

"I said, _get out_."

Robin looked at her dumbstruck. Was she really ordering _him_ out? After everything she had done? "Where do you get off ordering me out of here?! You're not a Titan anymore! You get out!"

"Fine," she said coldly. Ell got up, grabbed her stuff, and hobbled towards the door. She handed Robin her communicator and walked out of the door. She strode down the hallway, but because of her leg tripped and fell.

"Damn!" she hissed. She stood up and using her power cracked the cast into two. She gingerly removed the two pieces and stood confidently on her own two feet. Ell then picked up her stuff and made for the entrance.

**Well, I hope ya'll like this. And hope no one is out of character. Especially Slade. He is the most difficult character to write. Robin is the second most. Please tell me if either are OOC. I hate it when I do that. Ugggh. Anyway, please send me any and all comments, questions or concerns. I do accept (and quite honestly love) flames. But only if you can also give advice as well. Any and all advice is welcome and loved. **

**Pirate**


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